


We're Burning Down

by HuyanaShadowheart



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, mentions of alcohol abuse and PTSD, mentions of violence as well (nothing too graphic though)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-09
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2018-08-20 11:52:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8247769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HuyanaShadowheart/pseuds/HuyanaShadowheart
Summary: After 15 years of service in the army, you find yourself without a job. The search for a new one proves futile for months and you find solace in the depths of alcohol bottles from time to time, trying to drown out your loneliness and your nightmares. Your salvation comes in form of a job offer from Nadine Ross – and things only get more complicated from there when somebody called Victor Sullivan contacts you to ask to spy on Nadine’s new partner, Rafe Adler. You never liked Rafe, the way he treated Nadine. But you also couldn’t betray her, not after what you felt for her and what she had done for you. Or could you?





	1. A new start

The crackling of the fire around you was deafening. The sound of Rafe screaming for Nadine to come back and open the door muffled by the wood and the flames that separated you from him. Nadine’s gaze was hard, her mouth set into a thin line.

            _Oh god. She knows. She knows that I betrayed her, her of all people._

            The blood rushed through your veins and only added to the noise around you, making it almost impossible for you to hear what she had to say.

            ‘Did Rafe buy you to? Is that why you’ve been snooping around behind my back? Why you came to work for me in the first place?’ She was angry. You could see that she was barely able to restrain herself, could see it in the way her jaw clenched, her hands – balled up into fists – trembled at her sides. Her whole body was tense, a bow string drawn back and ready to release the arrow that was her anger towards you, the disappointment and maybe also the pain that you and your betrayal of her caused her.

            You shook your head, stepped forward and wanted to explain. Wanted to tell her that it had nothing to do with her, that it had been about Rafe. That you loved her above everyone and everything else, even your own life. But she put her hand up, stopped you before you could even begin to put everything into words.

            ‘I don’t want to hear it. You, for all I care, can burn in hell.’ She turned around and vanished, back to the boat that would take her to safety. You scrambled after her. The fire’s heat burning your skin, your eyes filled with tears from the smoke and the pain you felt. Your lungs ached for clean, crispy air, to fill with vital oxygen.

            ‘Nadine!’ you screamed after her as you tripped over a log and fell. But she was already gone. And you would, quite literally, burn in hell.

            ‘Fuck!’

            How could you have let it come to this? After all, the start had seemed so promising. The start… Your mind wandered back to the day this had begun for you, while your head started swimming and your legs felt heavy with every step you took, as if you were wading through mud.

\--

            It had been a cold, but sunny December morning when you had gotten the call from your Commanding Officer.

            ‘We’re terribly sorry, Y/N, but we can’t let you go back into the field. Not with your leg –‘ That stupid leg. You had gotten a minor limp in your right leg after suffering a gunshot wound to the thigh. The reason why the army wasn’t taking you back. ‘But we’re happy to help you find another job. You know, we don’t abandon our own, not when they need us.’ You had wanted to shout at him then. Tell him that what you _needed_ was to be back out there with your section, risking your life. But you had simply stated that you would be grateful for any help they could give you and that you knew the army didn’t let anybody down.

            Nothing came from your job search for a few months, your limp gradually got better, but never really vanished. Your therapist had officially signed you off as stable and fully returned, ready to be re-integrated into society. You had told her that your nightmares had gone, you felt better, that there was hope for you after all. But of course you were lying. The nightmares never really left. Some nights, you were so scared to go back to sleep that you simply drowned yourself in a bottle of Jack Daniel’s or cheap wine from the liquor store two streets from your house. You were careful about it though, not wanting to alert your family to your alcohol problem. And besides, it wasn’t like you were always drunk.

            No, you only drank when the nightmares became too strong and your body wouldn’t let you go back to sleep. Your leg would ache and pinch uncomfortably, you’d lie awake in your bed, certain that you were able to hear gunfire and shouts and the droning, swooshing sounds of helicopter rotors. But when you sat up, there was nothing there. You were alone, no, more than that. You were _lonely_. A wounded soldier left behind by his comrades, a woman without purpose, nothing to look forward to in the morning. Only the bad dreams and memories waiting for you at the end of each day. You felt as if you were stuck, not going anywhere.

            And still, you kept fighting. You held your head high, got out of bed each morning, took a shower, washed your hair and went to the job centre, because maybe, just _maybe_ they might’ve found something for you. But they never did. And you didn’t want your family to see how much you were really falling apart. How much it hurt, knowing that your men were out there, in Afghanistan or Syria or maybe in Africa, protecting people, fighting. _They_ had something to do. You didn’t. But you refused to give up hope completely. Because what would a broken soldier be without his last sliver of hope, his last ounce of pride, his will to fight on even if the battle seemed already lost. And you were right not to give up just yet.

            After what seemed like an eternity, but was actually _only_ eight months, the job centre contacted you. They said that somebody from South Africa had seen your profile and called them to say that they were interested in taking you on. A private contractor, looking for soldiers or ex-soldiers to work with her. But first you needed to pass the interview. You would be flying down to South Africa to meet with your potential new boss for a ‘chat’. A chat that could determine the rest of your life.

            So, of course, you had immediately jumped at the opportunity. You had done your research: you would be meeting with Nadine Ross, boss of a private army called Shoreline. Base of operations in South Africa, but they worked all over the globe. Supporting whoever paid best. Nadine had inherited the organization from her father after his death. And rumours have it that they were getting involved in a number of civil wars at the moment. You didn’t care. As long as you had a job, as long as you had something to fight for.

            It was a late summer’s day, the sun beat down mercilessly from the sky, as you stepped of your plane in Pretoria, where you were met by two of Nadine’s men who were to take you to HQ and to your job interview. Your gaze was fixed on the world behind the car’s windows while you travelled from the airport downtown and then out of town again.

            When you finally arrived at Shoreline’s HQ, you immediately felt at home. An old military base, the compound had everything you had grown accustomed to in your 15 years in the army; barracks, command centre, training grounds. You knew in that moment, when you set foot into the command centre and were sent on your way to Nadine’s office, that you had to get the job. You needed to, badly. You simply couldn’t go back to the lonely nothing your life had become. So, you straightened yourself up, put on your best military posture and entered the office after knocking and hearing a ‘Come in’ from inside.

            And there she was, your future boss. Nadine Ross. She looked even fiercer in real life than in the magazines. The pictures on the internet didn’t do her justice. Approximately 5’5” tall, brown curls balling up and around her face, her whole body seemed to radiate an aura of authority and self-assurance. She knew what she was doing and she wanted everybody to see it.

            She smiled at you then, a warm, comforting smile. But it didn’t quite reach her eyes, she was only showing it out of courtesy. Nadine came around her desk, her hand stretched out to you. ‘You must be Y/N Y/L/N. Pleasure to meet you.’

            You took her hand in yours and shook it firmly. ‘Pleasure is all mine, Ma’am.’

            She gestured for you to sit down in the chair opposite hers. When she asked if you would care for a drink, you politely said yes and asked for a glass of water.

            After that, she went over your army records, delightedly stated that you had climbed up to the rank of Major in your service time. You answered yes to all her questions, whether you had liked your time in the army, if it felt good to be in charge of other people. To the last one, you added that you didn’t particularly liked bossing other people around, but that you had enjoyed the camaraderie between your men and you would gladly take a bullet for them – as you knew they would for you. She only nodded at that.

            ‘It must’ve come as a shock for you then, when they discharged you,’ she said. Although there was an implied question mark hidden in there somewhere. You shook your head.

            ‘Not a shock, no, Ma’am. I knew, my chances to get back into the field after my injury were very slim. It still hurt, though, when I got that call,’ you admitted. She looked up at you then. If your eyes weren’t deceiving you, you would’ve said that what you saw in her eyes in that moment was understanding and sympathy. But it was gone in the next moment you blinked.

            ‘So, what is it then? The reason, you came here? Surely, you would rather be back with your men from the army than start over completely new with people you don’t know, whose respect you have to earn first.’

            ‘Of course, I would. But I know, I can’t go back to the army. And I’d rather start over than rot away at home. A fresh start, if you will.’

            After that, the two of you simply spoke about what your job would be, if you got it. When you left, Nadine shook your hand again and smiled at you. This time, it was small, but seemed more heartfelt. Maybe, your chances at getting this job weren’t as small as you’d thought.

            ‘It was a pleasure meeting you in person, Y/N. We’ll be in touch.’

            ‘Miss Ross,’ you nodded and then walked out of the office and went straight back to the airport.


	2. Those who prove worthy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m no expert on army stuff – I try to do as much research as possible, though. Army ranks are based on the British system btw.

Another two weeks passed after you had returned from Pretoria and your job interview, until you finally heard something from Shoreline. You wouldn’t get into the organisation with your latest army rank, not at first anyway. But, you would be given a job that equalled the army’s rank of Second Lieutenant, which meant that you would be in charge of maybe 30 men, 35 at most.

            Your family wasn’t exactly thrilled when they heard the news that you would move to South Africa for your new job. Their exact words being: ‘It’s not that we’re not happy that you got another job. But, sweetheart, South Africa? It’s not the safest place on earth, is it? Why don’t you wait for another job to come around? Something more local?’ You had only shaken your head then. All attempts to explain to them that you were more than happy with this new arrangement had been futile.

            ‘It’s not like Afghanistan is any safer either. And, besides, I’ll get off at Christmas, guaranteed,’ you had stated at the airport. All your personal belongings were stowed in your old army bags. It wasn’t much, but it was the stuff that you loved most. A picture of your family, an old toy you’d found at a market in Kabul the one time you had visited the city. A couple of old books were thrown in there too. The rest was just clothes and other essentials. Shoreline would provide you with a new uniform, but you still had brought some civil clothes, in case you would ever wear something other than work clothing.

            The flight back down to Pretoria was long and not what you would call pleasant, but nothing compared to the next few weeks you would spend at Shoreline HQ, trying to earn your men’s respect. The weather wasn’t kind to you either, the sun beat down almost all the time from the moment you got on the training grounds in the morning and back into your room at night. No matter how much you tried to start training before sunrise. And don’t even start mentioning the jetlag, the first days were _hell_.

            You would see Nadine from time to time. Not often, but sometimes she would come to the training grounds and either observe or train with you and your men. You only saw her from the other side of the field you were training close combat and melee at the moment. But what you saw was enough to tell you to never, ever piss off Nadine Ross. The poor bastard who had gone up against her had his ass kicked and gave up in under five minutes. Shoreline mercenaries weren’t usually the sort to give up.

            ‘Hey, Jackson, wait up!’ you exclaimed and jogged up to your second-in-command, who was just about to leave the training ground. Your men had finished their daily training a few minutes ago. Jackson turned around to you, giving you a questioning look.  
            ‘Something wrong with the training today?’ he asked.

            You shook your head. ‘That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.’ He turned his body around fully, cocked his head to the side and waited for you to continue.

            ‘Did you see the guy that Nadine fought earlier? What’s going to happen to him? Since I thought, Shoreline has a kind of “Give up and you’re out” attitude or something like that.’

            Jackson nodded. ‘Shoreline doesn’t sack people that give up during a training fight. Don’t worry. But if he were to shit his pants and run away during an Op, then he’s out.’

            ‘All right. Thanks for clearing that up. By the way, does Nadine come to the training grounds often?’ He shook his head at that.

            ‘Only from time to time. But as you saw, there’s hardly anybody that can beat her. At least, I don’t know anybody who works with Shoreline that could. Most of them give up not long into the fight. Others just let her kick their asses.’ You nodded and then smiled at him.

            ‘Thanks again.’

            ‘No problem, chief,’ he returned your smile with one of his own, until he caught a glimpse of something behind you. You turned around and saw your Commanding Officer, glaring daggers at the both of you. ‘What did you do to piss Donovan off like that?’

            ‘I have no idea, but I’m going to find out,’ you replied, told Jackson you’d see him later and then made your way over to Donovan. He pretended, he didn’t see you.

            ‘Sir, if you have a problem with me, just say it. Instead of trying to burn holes into my skull with your eyes and pretending that I’m not standing in front of you and talking to you.’

            Then he finally gave you his attention. ‘Listen, I don’t care what rank you held previously in the army. But you can’t just waltz in here and… Look, this isn’t the army. You may have proven yourself there, but you still have to do that in my eyes. Until you do so, I will regard you as nothing more than a parasite that’s not worth her rank and the command over 35 of my men. Is that understood, Lieutenant?’ he snarled at you.

            You nodded and bit down on your lower lip to keep yourself from returning a snarky comment on how they were still Nadine’s men and it had been her decision to give you the position you hold right now. ‘Yes, sir.’ You went back to your quarters, swearing to yourself that you would prove to Donovan that you were more than worthy of your position.

            Lucky for you, you soon got the chance to show them what you could do. Two Ops later, you not only had earned the respect of your own men, but Donovan himself seemed proud of you. Or at least, he didn’t despise you as much as he used to. But somebody else apparently thought that you still had to prove a little bit more to herself.

            Nadine had joined you and your troop this morning during their training routine. Two days later you would move out to the next Op in Peru and you wanted your men to be as fit for that as they could be. You had to admit that you were a little nervous to know that Nadine would be watching, judging your work. You liked her, admired her for her strength and her attitude towards her work, and of course you respected her and thanked her every day for giving you a second chance when your old army comrades wouldn’t. But her next move that day surprised you.

            ‘Y/L/N! Come on, let’s see if you can hold up to the standards that you’re teaching your men.’ There was a dangerous twinkle in her gaze and she smirked at you, challenging you. And you gladly accepted.

            The first few moments of the fight between you and Nadine, you just circled each other, defences up and calculating your next steps while trying to guess your opponent’s move. When Nadine attacked the first time, you were prepared. She had made a step forward, swung her arm back and blatantly tried to break through your defences. You blocked her and countered her attack, landing a punch on her rib cage. But you had to give up your own blockade in order for your attack and she grabbed your arm, dragged you towards her and struck you in the sides and your back, bringing you to your knees.

            Her next move was a kick in your stomach region, catapulting you onto your side. You gasped, your lungs desperately trying to fill with air. You raised your arms to block a kick to your face. She then obviously thought that you were done, turned around and wanted to say something to your men, but you wouldn’t give up so easily. You got back on your feet and tackled her to the ground.

            Then the two of you rolled on the ground for a bit, punching and tearing at each other, until Nadine came to lie on her back. You were straddling her, her arms locked above her head. Both of you were panting.

            ‘I don’t give up easily,’ you smirked.

            ‘Good. See you in Peru then, I guess.’ You got off of her and dragged her to her feet. The two of you exchanged another look before you turned your attention back to your men, who had gone silent as a grave and stared at you with a mixture of respect and anxiousness.


	3. Llamas and rivals

You wouldn’t have believed it, hadn’t you experienced it yourself, but the flight from South Africa to Peru proved to be more excruciating than you had expected. First, from Pretoria to Capetown, then from Capetown to Johannesburg, from Johannesburg to São Paulo, then to Lima and from Lima to Juliaca. By the time all of Shoreline’s men and equipment were sitting safely in trucks to go to your actual destination, you were on the brink of falling asleep.

            Jackson elbowed you in the side, subsequently hitting the spot where Nadine had hit you two days earlier. You jerked back to reality, your head hitting the back of your seat. While you rubbed your head, you shot an accusatory glance to your second-in-command.

            ‘What was that for?’ you grumbled.

            ‘How about ‘Thanks for making sure I don’t fall asleep and lose my job’?’ Jackson replied. You looked around in the back of the truck and then turned back to him.

            ‘The others are all asleep. And, besides, I was awake,’ you snapped and shifted in your seat, trying to find a position that was comfortable and did not make your ribs protest. The medic had said, you hadn’t broken anything, but you should still be careful – and not get into any more fist fights with Nadine. As if that was going to happen anytime soon.

            Your relationship to Nadine hadn’t changed drastically since she had challenged you to a fight and you had won, but she tried to keep her distance. You, on the other hand, had found some new respect for her. You had known she could fight, but you had to admit you wouldn’t have thought she could have subdued you this quickly, had you not fought her yourself.

            Jackson had grown suspiciously quiet, so you turned your head towards him and saw that the bastard fell asleep himself. Now you got your revenge and punched your own elbow into his sides. He woke up with an ‘Ow!’ and glared at you.

            ‘Really? Thought, you’d be above such things as taking revenge on your inferiors,’ he grunted.

            ‘Did it hurt?’

            ‘Yes,’ he admitted.

            You nodded to yourself. ‘Good.’ He stared at you as if you had gone completely insane in the last minute.

            ‘Why, exactly, did you punch me in the ribs?’ Jackson inquired.

            ‘One, it was revenge for you punching me. And, two, treat your superiors with respect. You’re a soldier, not a cry-baby. So stop complaining.’

            Jackson muttered something under his breath, but you didn’t get to ask him what he had just said, as the truck slowed down and ultimately came to a halt. You unfastened your seat belt, got up and clapped your hands together to wake up your men.

            ‘Alright, chaps. Get up and off the truck! Line up outside and wait for further orders,’ you said loud enough for one of your subordinates to flinch. ‘Come on, guys. You can sleep later.’

            You climbed off the truck, Jackson on your heels and took in your surroundings. Your convoy had stopped in front of a church, the square, on which the church stood, was surrounded by small houses and a street seemed to lead towards the shore of the Titicaca Lake, you could make out a stone pier. The locals observed the convoy’s arrival with distrust and uncertainty.

            Your attention shifted to Nadine’s jeep. She was lively discussing something with a man you hadn’t seen before. Maybe one of the contractor’s employees or the contractor himself. Nadine didn’t seem too pleased with whatever answer she got from her conversation partner. She turned around and came towards you, the new man followed her.

            ‘Unload the equipment and then set up camp in the two larger houses over there that the community of Llachon kindly offered to us. Y/L/N, Donovan, with me.’ Nadine named two more men, who would be joining you and then walked off to the church, the new guy on her tail.

            You nodded towards Jackson, who immediately gave the orders to your men, and then you followed Nadine.

            The low afternoon sun shone through various tall windows in the church and a number of candles burned as well, yet the church was dimmer than you expected. You could see dust dancing in the rays of sunlight, the air heavy with the smell of burning incense. The new guy led your small group down the main aisle, towards the altar that was a bit more luxurious than you had imagined in your head and then you went through a small door into the vestry.

            Another group of five men waited for you in this room that seemed far too small for eleven people to fit in, but somehow you managed. For the next couple of minutes you zoned out while Nadine and the contractor discussed business.

            When Nadine suddenly said your name, you came back to yourself and blinked, confused for a second. She hadn’t spoken to you directly, but apparently your name had fallen in the conversation and you decided to pay more attention.

            ‘I want guards patrolling the town around the clock. Double the numbers during the night. Immediately report anything unusual. I’m sure, whoever is following us, isn’t far behind you,’ the contractor – a sturdy, balding man – demanded. ‘And I want you to start _now_.’

            Nadine protested, that her men were tired and needed a few hours rest at least. But the man didn’t give in and insisted. She sighed, turned to you.

            ‘Y/N, your men will cover the first round until nightfall, while the others get rest.’ You wanted to protest, but Nadine’s face stopped you before you said a word. So you nodded.

            ‘Yes, ma’am,’ you complied.

            Your men had protested, naturally, when you had given them their new orders, but one hard look from Nadine and they went silent.

            You and Jackson had covered the area by the pier and now returned to the main square while the sun set and the moon rose. Both you and Jackson were silent, too tired to make an effort at conversation. And you suspected he was still sulking because of earlier.

            As you walked up the street, you noticed that it was too quiet. The two men stationed at the main road were nowhere to be seen. You looked at Jackson, who nodded and then you got out your pistol. You slowly made your way towards the town square, using one of the houses as cover. Just as you rounded the corner, you noticed the two missing guards, leaning against the wall. You crouched down next to one of them, checked for a pulse.

            ‘They’re alive. But somebody must’ve knocked them out cold.’

            Jackson shot you a look that clearly said ‘No shit, Sherlock’ and you rolled your eyes at him. The two of you made your way towards the town square, which was deserted as well. You could see the crumbled figures of at least four of your men, scattered over the square.

            ‘So, Mr Paranoid wasn’t kidding when he said that somebody was on their way,’ you whispered. Jackson raised his eyebrow at you and you shook your head. You’d explain to him later. Then you motioned for him to cover you while you made your way up to the church.

            Leaning against the church’s door that was slightly open, you unfastened the safety on your gun and loaded it. Then you went in.

            The candles had been extinguished, the smoke from the incense pots wavered through the church. You walked down the main aisle, trying to keep your steps as quiet as possible. Somebody was rummaging in the vestry that the contractor used as an office. Jackson followed quietly behind you and you motioned for him to take the other side of the door and open it on command. He gave it a small push and you went in.

            ‘Hands in the air, step away from the desk!’ you yelled. The man with his back to you put his hands up and turned around. His companion, a smaller woman, walked around the table, hands in the air as well.

            ‘I’d be careful with that, kid,’ the man commented on the fact that you had a loaded gun pointed to his face. His hair had turned grey, as had his moustache. You could make out lonely strands of brown hair if you looked closely enough. His grey eyes stayed on you all the time.

            ‘Who are you and what do you want?’ you inquired.

            ‘My name’s Victor Sullivan, that’s Kayleigh. As to what we want: Exactly the same thing your boss wants as well.’


	4. A question of morality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just for clarification: Mr Parr is the sturdy, bald guy who hired Nadine and Shoreline, he only got a name just now xD

‘Jackson, go get Miss Ross and Mr Parr and tell them we found the thieves,’ you said over your shoulder to your colleague without taking your eyes – or your gun – off Sullivan and his associate. When you didn’t hear an affirmation of your orders, but instead heard the ‘click’ of a gun’s safety catch being released, you slowly turned around.

            ‘That was an order, Jackson. But if you won’t do it, I’ll have to,’ you declared while you turned around. When you did, you looked straight into the barrel of Jackson’s Glock 17, the same firearm every Shoreline employee got. Just as a precaution, you raised your gun at him. You didn’t want to shoot him, but you had to show him that you would if he made you.

            ‘Put down your gun, Jackson,’ you ordered. He shook his head in response and tightened his hands on the grip of his weapon.

            ‘I’m sorry, Y/N. But I can’t let you go to Miss Ross nor can I let you threaten these two… “thieves”,’ he replied and gave you an apologetic shrug.

            While you and Jackson stared each other down, neither of you exactly wanting to shoot the other, but both recognizing the possible necessity, Kayleigh grabbed one of the heavy candle sticks that usually stood on the altar during services, and let the thicker end connect with the back of your skull.

            You fell down on your knees, pain exploding in the back of your head and looked up at Jackson, who took the candlestick from Kayleigh’s hands. He raised his hand, looked down at you and whispered ‘I’m sorry’ before letting the candlestick connect with the right side of your face. The force of the blow not only had you falling to the floor, but also made you see stars. You tried to fight through the partially blinding pain and crawled out of the door of the vestry, while Jackson, Sullivan and Kayleigh vanished through a side door. Eventually you passed out.

            When you came back to, it took a while for you to get a sense of your surroundings. You were no longer in the church, but instead on a bed in the improvised barracks that the other Shoreline men had set up while yours had taken the first shift of guard duty. You tried to lift your head and look around, but immediately regretted that action as your head exploded with pain. You groaned and put a hand on your eyes.

            ‘Welcome back to the land of the Living!’ you heard Nadine say and you immediately felt yourself blush. Hesitantly, you took your hand off your eyes and stole a glance at her. You felt ashamed for having let her down this much. You had failed your mission. Had let the thieves get away.

            Nadine got up from the chair she had been sitting in ­– _Had she been sitting there all the time while you’d been unconscious?_ – and came over to your bed. You looked up at her. She didn’t seem mad at you, more… _worried?_ Nevertheless, her face was stern, lips tightly sealed, until she sighed.

            ‘Do you remember what happened?’ she inquired.

            You shook your head. ‘No, ma’am. It’s… blurry. I remember that I went inside that church, there was an older man… Sullivan, I think, was his name. And there was a woman as well… I know, somebody or something hit me on the head. That’s it.’

            ‘Jackson said you went in alone. Told him to wait outside, in case somebody came,’ Nadine stated and waited for you to either confirm or deny. But you couldn’t do either. You looked at her, shrugged and apologized for not knowing. Essentially, you were lying. You _knew_ Jackson had been in the church with you, that he had been the one to strike you with the candlestick a second time. But at the same time, you couldn’t rat him out like that. Not without knowing why he had betrayed you in the first place. No matter how hurt you felt by his actions. ‘He said the thieves got away in a Jeep, he tried to stop them, but couldn’t do anything. Then he went inside the church and found you. Brought you back here and reported back to me.’

            You shrugged a second time. ‘If that’s what he says, then that must be how it went down. I’m sorry that I can’t be of much help, ma’am. And that they got away nonetheless.’

            Nadine shook her head. ‘Not your fault. And please, stop calling me ma’am. Makes me feel old.’ She smiled down at you. ‘Just promise me, no more heroics. Next time, you wait for backup.’

            You nodded and Nadine left. You sunk back into the pillow and stared up towards the ceiling. The paint was chipped and beginning to come off. You had almost fallen asleep, but somebody clearing their throat jumped you awake again. You turned your head towards the door, where Jackson stood in the doorway, seemingly unsure if he was allowed to come in or if you would strangle him if he did. You were still debating on that.

            ‘Can I come in?’ he asked in a shy voice, uncharacteristic for him. You raised an eyebrow.

            ‘I can hardly stop you, can I?’ you replied coolly.

            He came in, closed the door behind himself and sat down on the bed next to yours. You kept quiet, waiting for him to start explaining himself.

            ‘I’m so sorry, Y/N. But I really couldn’t let you give the two of them up to our boss…’

            ‘I already know that. You said that before you knocked me out, you bloody arsehole! Tell me, Jackson, how much did they pay you? How much did it take for you to go behind your superior’s back?!’

            ‘They didn’t… They didn’t pay me anything. I… Please tell me you didn’t rat me out.’

            ‘Why shouldn’t I have? You disobeyed _my_ orders, you knocked me unconscious with a fucking _candlestick_!’ You bit your lip before you could say any more. Then you sighed. ‘No, I didn’t tell her. But tell me, why? If they didn’t pay you, why betray Shoreline? Surely it wasn’t a question of morality? We’ve all killed relatively innocent people before.’

            ‘No, it definitely wasn’t a question of morality. It was a question of loyalty,’ Jackson replied. He stared down at his hands.

            ‘The reason, Jackson. Tell me,’ you demanded.

            He sighed, searched for the right words and then looked up at you.

            ‘Because Kayleigh is my little sister.’


	5. New partners, new opportunities

Peru and the incident that had happened there now lay in the past. But nothing had been the same after that. You hadn’t been able to trust Jackson afterwards. Every time you were on a mission and he said he had your back, you looked over your shoulder anyway. And people had noticed. They had noticed the tension between you and your second-in-command.

            One day, before you were off to another mission, Nadine waved you off to the side. You joined her in front of the barracks, far enough away from the trucks that your men were loading up for anybody to hear.

            ‘Listen, Y/N, I’ve had a few complaints about your relationship with Jackson. If you don’t feel comfortable working with him, you can always ask for a transfer to another unit.’ Nadine never wasted any time and got right to the point. You shook your head.

            ‘No, Miss Ross. With all due respect, I would like to stay with my men. Jackson and I… we will figure this out,’ you answered.

            ‘Are you sure, you still don’t want to tell me what happened in Peru?’

            ‘No, Miss. I’m sorry, Miss. But I would rather not.’

            ‘So, you do remember who attacked you?’

            For a second, you considered telling the truth. You knew, you couldn’t lie to her, that it would be a horrible idea to lie to your superior. But you had already lied to her once, and as much as you hated what Jackson had done, you had to protect him. Even if you couldn’t trust him anymore, he was one of your men after all. And you always told your men to protect their own. Besides, it wasn’t like he couldn’t understand why he had disobeyed direct orders. If that had been one of your own family members standing in front of you, you would probably have disobeyed direct orders as well.

            ‘No, Miss. I am sorry.’

            Nadine looked at you attentively, she studied your face and you thought that she knew exactly what you had just done. In a way, you wanted her to. You hated lying to somebody. But you had to. To your surprise, Nadine simply nodded.

            ‘Alright. Well, I believe, you have a mission to lead, Y/L/N. Good luck. And if there is something you want to talk about sometime, you can talk to me.’

            You nodded. ‘Of course, Miss.’

            ‘Stay safe and come back in one piece.’ For one moment, you thought, you could see something like concern in her gaze. But you must have been mistaken. She wouldn’t be purely concerned for you alone. You had thirty-three men to lead into hostile territory. She just wanted all of her people back safely.

 

            You could feel your men’s uncertain gazes on you. The mission had been a success, but Jackson had been shot after he had taken a bullet for you. An act that not only surprised you, but also made you feel bad because in that moment you had actually considered the possibility that he would let you get shot. But he had jumped in between you and the shooter at the last minute. Now, you sat next to Donovan and Nadine in the hallway of a hospital in Pretoria. You were waiting for a word from the doctors on whether Jackson would make it or not.

            ‘I should have seen the guy. If I had just been a little bit more careful, we wouldn’t be here right now and Jackson wouldn’t be in an OR fighting for his life,’ you murmured for the thousandth time. To be honest, this wasn’t the first time, one of Shoreline’s men had been wounded or even killed. Things hadn’t been going that splendidly since Peru. The lower employees of Shoreline had been talking among themselves, had said that Nadine’s wish to fulfil her father’s legacy and continue with Shoreline, to make Shoreline a brilliant organisation, led her to misjudge the missions lately. To miscalculate the risks and put her men into unnecessary danger. You and Donovan had told the men to shut up and stop spreading rumours. You had such faith in your boss. But now, you couldn’t help but think that maybe the rumours were right after all.

            ‘It wasn’t your fault. It was Jackson’s own decision to take this bullet for you. No need to feel bad about it, kid,’ Donovan said and put a hand on your back. The two of you still didn’t exactly see eye to eye, but at least you had stopped being hostile to each other.

            Suddenly, Nadine got up from her seat and you saw that one of the doctors came towards you.

            ‘How is he, doctor?’ Nadine asked.

            ‘He’ll pull through. The surgery went by without any complications and you can go see him now. But please, only one person at a time,’ the doctor replied.

            You sighed with relief. ‘Thank you, doc,’ you exclaimed. The man nodded and then went on to his other patients.

            ‘Well, I guess, you should be the first one in there, Y/N,’ Nadine said.

            ‘Uh, I don’t really think that’s such a good –‘

            ‘Nonsense. He’s under your command and he took a bullet for _you_. I think, it’s only fair that you’d be the first face he sees,’ she insisted.

            ‘Alright. Thank you, Miss Ross.’ You nodded and then went into the hospital room.

           

            Jackson half smiled when he saw you.

            ‘Alright, before you yell at me for what I did back there and you tell me that it was stupid as hell, I would like to say that we’re even now.’

            ‘You’re right. Under normal circumstances, I would be yelling by now. But, I guess, a thank you is in order. You saved my life,’ you replied and sat down in the chair next to his bed.

            ‘As I said, we’re even now. And I guess, that was a wink from fate that I should quit Shoreline,’ Jackson suddenly stated.

            ‘You know, I won’t tell you what you should do in that matter. It’s your decision. However, I think, you might be right. As much as I appreciate what you did back there, I don’t think, I can ever blindly trust you again.’

            He nodded. ‘I understand, boss. I enjoyed working with you, though.’

            ‘Me too. Take care of yourself, Jackson.’ He extended his hand to shake yours, but you chose to pat his shoulder instead.

 

            After Jackson had left Shoreline, Nadine had raised your rank and you were now on the same level as Donovan. But Jackson wasn’t the real reason you had gotten a promotion. No, the actual reason was another contract where Nadine had accompanied you.

            A number of hostiles were shooting at you and you were doing your best to hold them off. For some reason, Nadine told somebody further back to cover her and she made her way towards you. She was almost where you took cover, when you suddenly picked up movement behind her.

            ‘Watch out!’ You shouted and began to shoot the guy that was aiming at Nadine, while you were running towards her. You tackled her to the ground before the enemy could give off a shot.

            ‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ Nadine exclaimed, while you scrambled to get off her and pull her into cover.

            ‘Saving your life is what I’m doing,’ you snapped back. ‘That guy back there would have shot you if I hadn’t thrown myself on you.’

            ‘Are you sure, that was your only reason?’ She replied with a raised eyebrow. You scoffed and nodded.

            ‘Yes, one hundred percent,’ you replied.

            ‘Well, then I suppose, I oughta thank your concern for your boss’s safety,’ Nadine stated.

            ‘No problem.’ Although you had to admit to yourself that you hadn’t only saved Nadine because she was your employer. You had been genuinely concerned for her. And by the look she was now giving you, she suspected as much.

            ‘By the way, I already Donovan and the others, but I didn’t get a chance yet to tell you yet. I’ve found a new partner for Shoreline.’ You raised an eyebrow at her.

            ‘Who?’

            ‘Rafe Adler,’ she answered.

            ‘That rich kid who inherited his parent’s business?’

            ‘Might I remind you, that I inherited my father’s business as well? Besides, that rich kid, could help us get Shoreline back on track.’

            ‘If you say so, Miss,’ you replied.

            ‘You know, loose the Miss Ross. Just call me Nadine. I think, you earned as much just now.’

            ‘As you wish, Mi– Nadine,’ you nodded.

            ‘Say, if we get out of here alive, would it be utterly strange to ask you if you wanted to get a drink together sometime?’ Nadine suddenly said.

            ‘Just us?’

            ‘Just us,’ she answered.

            You shrugged. ‘Why not. It would be very rude to say no now, wouldn’t it?’


	6. Strictly business

As luck would have it, you and Nadine did in fact get back from the last mission alive. After that, life at Shoreline was a bit slow.  No new missions seemed to come in, and if some did, Nadine didn’t send you, for whatever reason she had.

            So, obviously, you were a bit wary around her, especially since she had basically asked you out on a date in a life-threatening situation and you assumed, it was a simply platonic kind of thing. You were confused, she seemed to respect you and apparently liked you enough to let you call her by her first name, but the day Shoreline’s new partner, Rafe Adler, arrived, she acted distant towards you. But at the same time seemed to warm up a little bit too much to Mr Adler, something you hadn’t known from her.

            Rafe Adler on the other hand, seemed the type of person you had known all too well during your time in the army. The first time you saw him, when he visited Nadine in Pretoria to discuss something about the partnership, you immediately disliked him. He had an air of pretentiousness about him, you knew from people in the army, who had no actual business in the mess of war, but thought they had, because they had money. The danger about Rafe was, that he knew exactly what he was doing. He challenged Nadine at every turn when she called a meeting with all troop leaders to discuss their new contract, and Nadine didn’t even say anything. Which only made you all the more furious.

            You tried to contain your anger about the way Rafe treated Nadine during the meeting, and seethed quietly. But as soon as she dismissed everyone, you stormed out of the room and straight to the training zone. Every bullet you put through the practice dummy and every hit the punch bag took, you imagined it was Rafe. It wasn’t exactly the best idea to let out your frustration while imagining you did the same things to the person, who brought money to Shoreline, but at least you weren’t really hitting _him_.

            Nadine found you soon enough. You were mercilessly punching the bag with a sour face and muttering under your breath when you heard the door open and close and somebody enter the training room. You hoped it wasn’t Rafe, otherwise you would probably bash his skull in for how he treated Nadine, your superior – and, you had to admit it, your crush.

            ‘Got some steam to blow off? I pity that punching bag,’ she said and you stopped hitting the bag. You stopped its swinging motion with one hand, then turned around to her. You hadn’t noticed how hard you were breathing and how much you sweated, until you got a minute to relax.

            ‘Sorry. Not mad at you, just…’ you replied.

            ‘Generally in a foul mood? And I’d hoped we could finally get that drink?’ She smiled at you and you blinked. Was she serious? After you had to watch her take every verbal hit that Rafe fired, and not defend herself in the slightest, she suddenly wanted to get closer to you again?

            ‘Alright. Yeah. I just can’t promise, I’ll talk much,’ you gave in and surprised yourself with it. To be honest, you just couldn’t say ‘no’ to Nadine. Not because she was your boss, but because you wanted to get closer to her – and she could most likely kick your ass, if you’d let her.

            She nodded, pleased with herself and showing it with a smile. ‘Well, I’ll let you get a shower first. Meet me at the main door in fifteen minutes?’

            ‘I’ll be there.’

            Nadine opened the door and held it open for you, for which you thanked her quietly. Before you could wander off to the barracks and take a shower, she held you back at your elbow. You turned back around to her, almost staggering back when you realized how close your bodies were.

            ‘And I don’t necessarily need you to hold a deep, philosophical debate with me,’ she whispered and then left you standing there, staring after her like a fish. You had never seen Nadine flirt with anyone. Certainly, you hadn’t expected to be at the receiving end, but you didn’t mind it either. Grinning to yourself like a love-struck idiot, you went to take a shower and put on something more civilian.

            You weren’t punctual, in fact, you were two minutes early and Nadine was nowhere to be seen when you arrived at the gate. You wondered, whether you had gotten the time wrong, but a look down at the watch on your wrist told you, you were early.

            Nadine, however, was right on time when she rolled up to the gate in one of Shoreline’s jeeps. She cocked her head and motioned for you to get in. You tried your best, not to stare at her and felt incredibly awkward the entire ride to the bar in downtown Pretoria. Her last words still rang in your ears and made your head spin when you thought about all the different times you had interacted with Nadine so far. You desperately hoped, she liked you, but her behaviour didn’t exactly reassure you. After all, you didn’t know whether this was a romantic date or just two people, who worked together in strenuous environments and wanted to get to know each other better. And there was still your anger over the way Rafe had treated Nadine today that simmered inside of you.

            You almost sighed with relief when you arrived at your destination and got to escape the car. Nadine smiled at you and you returned it weakly.

            The bar was swarmed with customers, both inside and out on the street. You thought, you spotted two men making out in the far back of the room and furrowed your brows at the fact that nobody seemed to take notice. Admittedly, you had expected some people to throw disgusted looks towards the two men, but everybody minded their own business.

            ‘Nobody’s going to judge you here for whatever you do,’ Nadine said when she noticed your confused face. She leaned in close, but had to speak at a higher volume than usual to be heard over the bustling noise of the crowd. You made an understanding ‘Oh’ and then followed her to the bar, where she ordered two beers for the two of you.

            As she moved to sit down in one of the dimly lit booths in the corner, her hand brushed against yours and you couldn’t fight the blush that crept over your skin and heated up your face.

            You sat down next to Nadine and took a big gulp from your beer to somehow drown the butterflies that flapped their wings violently in your stomach. When Nadine suddenly covered your hand with hers, you gasped a little. You really weren’t used to her behaving like that. She said your name and, anxiously, you turned your head to look at her. Her face was so close to yours, you could feel her breath on your lips mingle with yours.

            For the moment of a heartbeat, both of you just stared at each other. Her eyes flickered down to your lips a few times, as did yours to hers. Then, finally, you told yourself to throw all caution to the wind and bridged the gap between her lips and your own.

            You sighed into the kiss, deepening it and putting of your hands onto the back of Nadine’s neck, who reciprocated the kiss and squeezed your hand that was still on the table. When you finally pulled back, she smiled at you again, apparently pleased with what had just happened.

            ‘So, do you want to tell me what made you so angry today that you almost punched a hole into one of our punching bags?’ she whispered.

            You sighed and turned towards your beer again, bringing a bit of distance between the two of you. You fumbled with your beer bottle and avoided Nadine’s gaze. ‘I don’t think, you’ll like what I’ll have to tell you.’

            ‘Tell me anyway,’ she pushed.

            You bit your lip and thought about how to put it best. ‘I’m sorry, but I simply can’t stand Rafe Adler. Especially not when he keeps verbally attacking you and you don’t do anything against it! I just want to punch that rich bastard’s teeth in,’ you mumbled and took another sip.

            ‘It’s sweet of you to care, but it’s not really my place to talk back to the man that is keeping us from declaring bankruptcy. And neither is it yours,’ she countered.

            ‘I know that, but I still care. And as long as we’re working with him, I’ll spend a lot of time punching a bag.’

            ‘Maybe we should invest in a new one, then,’ Nadine said with a grin and pulled you in for another kiss. But you knew, as long as Rafe was in the picture, you two were bound to clash over the subject of his treatment of Nadine.


	7. Caribbean Frustration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jesus Christ, this took forever. BUT I hope, I can now finally do the crossover with We’re all Thieves in the End. I just haven’t quite figured out how I’ll post the chapters with the reader characters from both fics present… xD oh, and I’mma just call the reader from We’re all Thieves in the End “Grace” here. xD

The waves crashed against the shore and a light breeze danced in through the windows. You sighed, turned on your side and nuzzled back into the warm embrace of the arms wrapped around you. Nadine sighed as well, though, when you opened your eyes to look at her, you realized that she was still asleep. A small smile creeped onto your lips. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep. Her face looked softer, more relaxed, as she didn’t have to worry about projecting an aura of authority for every second of the day.

            You had noticed since the first time you two kissed in the bar in Pretoria that she always tried to keep the ‘leader Nadine’ outside when you were alone with her. You knew yourself how difficult it was, to keep your love life private and separate from your work relationship with Nadine. She was your boss after all. But now, she was also your girlfriend.

 _My girlfriend_. You began to grin like an idiot as you often did when the realization hit you that you were in fact in a relationship other than work with Nadine Ross, certified badass and boss of Shoreline – and yourself. How the hell did you get so lucky? What had you done right this time to deserve her?

            ‘Why are you grinning like that?’ Nadine suddenly mumbled. You raised your gaze to her face and found her looking at you through half-closed eyelids.

            ‘Just happy to get these quiet moments with you, my _girlfriend_ ,’ you replied, still grinning like a love-struck child.

            Nadine chuckled sleepily. ‘You know, we’ll have to get up soon though. Rafe doesn’t like starting late into the day.’

 

            You raised an eyebrow, your grin wiped away as quickly as if it had been a retainer of sauce on chin. ‘Rafe “I’ve got a stick up my ass” Adler can grant you a few days off at some point. We’ve been here in Nassau for two weeks and we haven’t found anything about Avery’s treasure. I highly doubt we’ll find anything at all, but of course, anything for the rich brat that pays my wage at the moment. He’s been treating you like shit, as if it was your fault that there simply are no clues about that bloody pirate and his damned gold here! I swear to God, if he says one word today, I’ll polish that smug American face of his with my fucking fist.’

            Nadine gave you a look that clearly told you not to do what you had just sworn. But you wouldn’t have it. You would not let that rich arsehole treat your girlfriend like trash. Your girlfriend on the other hand, just sighed and stroked your cheek. ‘Please don’t. It only complicates everything and you know, we haven’t gone out into the open yet with our relationship. I don’t want him to know that, because this between us, is strictly about us. Nobody else. So can we please, go back to the blissful, silent cuddling we were doing ten minutes ago?’

            You were about to mumble something, say that it seemed like Rafe had a lot to say in this relationship, even without him knowing about it. But you didn’t when Nadine looked at you pleadingly – something she did very, very rarely.

            ‘Fine. But I thought you said we’ll need to get up soon?’ you replied and put your head back onto the pillow.

            ‘Well, we still have some time,’ Nadine said, a mischievous smirk tugging on the corners of her mouth. She moved her face close to yours, pressed a chaste kiss onto your lips, before pulling you back into her arms – this time, the cuddling was less sleepy though.

* * *

 

By the time you and Nadine joined Rafe in his hotel room to discuss the last days’ work, your relaxed mood had dissipated like the ice cube in Rafe’s whiskey glass. He hadn’t touched his drink since you had come in, too wrapped up in berating Nadine for her men’s work morale – all the while, there was nothing to find. It wasn’t the men that made it hard to find anything, they worked their arses off day and night for a rich prick, who thought, he could just boss everyone around because he had money.

            ‘This is unacceptable, Nadine! We should have found something by now. I want you to double the shifts. Have every available man turn over every stone twice if you have to,’ Rafe ordered. ‘Also, I’d like to bring in an expert to help. Because clearly, this is getting us nowhere.’ His eyes landed on you and you flared your nostrils. Another word about the inadequacies of your own men or Nadine’s leadership and you would tear his tongue right out of his lying, rich bastard mouth.

            ‘We’ll do anything we can,’ Nadine said and you turned to stare at her incredulously. Was she serious? She was just going to roll over again? ‘ _But_ , I don’t think it will help if we search under every little grain of sand. There is nothing here, Rafe. Perhaps we should look somewhere else.’

            And Rafe, not used to and certainly not amused by having his authority challenged, banged his fist onto the table. He stepped closer to Nadine. ‘There has to be something here. Maybe, your men are just not suitable for the job and I should have looked elsewhere.’

            Then you exploded. You stepped in between Rafe and Nadine, getting your face as close as you could, when you sneered: ‘I will not have you talk about my men or my boss in this way. They are doing _everything_ they can. Maybe Nadine is right and we haven’t found anything because there is nothing to find.’

            Rafe stared you down, he opened his mouth to spit a reply in your face, but Nadine did it first. She placed a hand on your shoulder, pulling you back from Rafe. ‘Y/N, you’re stepping out of line. I’m sure, Mr Adler did not mean to insult Shoreline’s capabilities to get the job done. But we are both right. You should consider finding another place to dig. Maybe one with more profitable prospects.’

            He stayed silent while Nadine pulled you out of the hotel room. As soon as the door closed behind you and you were alone in the hallway, Nadine turned you towards her.

            ‘I thought, we had talked about this, Y/N. Don’t provoke him any further. Not even if he says something to insult the both of us and the company. I know, you want to defend my honour and that of our men, but if he decides to pull out and go to somebody else, we’re lost. Shoreline is gone without this money and this job. So pull yourself together and restrain that wicked tongue of yours.’

            You didn’t reply, couldn’t look her in the eye. You hated that the two of you were kind of fighting over this again. But you couldn’t just stand by and let Rafe spout his nonsense and his threats. ‘I know, I’m sorry. I’ll try not to say anything that will provoke him any further. But he’s just… such an irritating arsehole. Everything about him rubs me the wrong way and he doesn’t exactly help his case with the way he treats you and our men.’

            ‘I know, babe. But you don’t have to fight this battle. It’s not worth it,’ she said, cupping your face with her hands and pressed a light kiss on your lips. ‘Come on. Let’s go help our men turn over every tiny grain of dust on this godforsaken island.’

            She grabbed your hand, intertwined your fingers with hers and smiled at you.

            ‘If we didn’t have to work and put up with the rich kid, Nassau would actually make a really nice holiday destination,’ you mused.

            ‘I don’t know. I’ve always wanted to go to Iceland and see the Northern lights there,’ Nadine said.

            ‘I’m sure we can arrange that,’ you smiled.

* * *

 

It was still almost unbearably hot while the sun retreated behind the horizon and you wiped the sweat off your face. You had spent the rest of the day in the baking heat of the jungle, trying to find anything even remotely related to pirates – why you had to be in the jungle for that and Rafe couldn’t just go to the museum, you would never understand. As expected, you hadn’t found a single thing. Your body ached, you were tired and soaked in sweat. All you wanted now, was a cold shower and to fall into bed, preferably with Nadine at your side.

            But since your little escapade in Rafe’s room, she had been busy calming down frustrated Shoreline men and the heat wasn’t exactly helping. You were walking back to the cars when you saw Rafe arrive in one of the rented jeeps with a woman you didn’t know. The car stopped, Rafe and the woman got out and he waved you over. What the hell was going on?

            Nadine came running just as you reached the two newcomers. ‘Still nothing, Rafe. And who is this?’

            The woman next to Rafe eyed both of you, she was clearly nervous to be here. You didn’t want to even think about what Rafe what must have told her to get her here.

            ‘This is Grace. She’s an archaeologist and she’ll help us. Also, could you tell the men to pack up? We’re leaving for Panama, first thing tomorrow,’ Rafe said.


End file.
